[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-how-to-survive-as-the-second-son-of-a-mage-famil":3,"chapter-how-to-survive-as-the-second-son-of-a-mage-famil-how-to-survive-as-the-second-son-of-a-mage-famil-chapter-36":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","How to Survive as the Second Son of a Mage Family",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1473942,1923,"Chapter 36","how-to-survive-as-the-second-son-of-a-mage-famil-chapter-36",36,"\u003Cp>\"If you make an enemy of the media, your accomplishments will all be credited to the imperial family. Do you think they’ll write favorable articles about a blackmailer?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Are you concerned for me?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"......\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leo frowned and waved his hands, signaling me to just listen and move on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Okay.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I'm touched~ But we have no other way.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Are you fine with the imperial family taking credit for your accomplishments?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No, it would piss me off. Really piss me off.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Damn, you really...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But right now, people are getting hurt and dying. Even strange insects are appearing. We can collect the credit later with interest. Right?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It's true that he later collected interest by taking the execution in the end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Knowing how well he kept his word gave me chills.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I'm not saying we should abandon the plan.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"First, let's clarify this. That plan was devised when we were dealing with the barrier suitability issue, right?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yeah. Why? We’re still going to raise the barrier suitability issue.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That's right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if we regularly manage and supervise to hinder Pleroma's experiments, there will still be lingering beasts, so we need to strengthen the barriers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lucas, the media won’t report anything negative about the imperial family. If we want to move quickly without wasting time, shouldn’t we threaten them with their lives first?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Of course.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I looked directly at Elias.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But the situation is different now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Different now?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The issue of ‘barrier suitability’ is about the imperial family’s mismanagement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if the story is about ‘Pleroma’s’ insect experiments?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The focus shifts from the imperial family to Pleroma as the target of criticism.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Oh~\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before I even started explaining in detail, Elias raised his eyebrows and snapped his fingers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I felt the same with Leo; it’s nice that he catches on quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So you asked about the timing of the plan. If we focus on the mosquitoes, the attention will shift. Got it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Exactly. As long as Pleroma takes the heat instead of the imperial family, we’re fine.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since the demand to upgrade the barriers is included in the mosquito proposal, we don’t need to highlight it to provoke the media.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What’s up with you guys? Do you have to think this deeply before sending anything?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...I suddenly feel like I'm just sitting here doing nothing.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The students chuckled awkwardly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don’t feel pressured. We only have one task.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I looked around at the students and said,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We’re going to report this issue to the media and file a lawsuit.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I spent the whole day in the infirmary and warped to the meeting place at night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>**〈 Chapter 4. Constant Dripping Wears Away a Stone (2) 〉**\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>**Quest 2: Achieve an [Impression] score of 5 (0\u002F1) (163 hours 53 minutes 51 seconds)**\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>* Route 1 — 〈 Special Reward for Chapter 4 〉\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>* Route 2 — 〈 Chapter 5. Do Not Praise a Day Before Evening Comes 〉\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘...Hmm.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Receiving a quest on the day I realized I’m still under my brother’s control feels fitting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is it asking me to raise my Impression score from -9.9 to a total of 14.9 points?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘......’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And within a week?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This might be a sign to just forget about the reward and move on to Chapter 5, which already has an ominous title.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Wait a minute.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stopped self-mockery when a thought crossed my mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Let’s look at the status window again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucas Rene Askanian\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Impression:** -9.9 [+2.0]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[+2.0].\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had confirmed that my Impression score had two numbers earlier in the day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The quest explicitly says [Impression] score, which is unusual.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When it asked me to raise my Health score to zero, it didn’t specify [Health] score.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could it be trying to make sure I know which score to raise by specifying [Impression]?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘......’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is really odd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I mentioned before that I had a hunch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was just speculation without any evidence, but now I’m starting to understand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That bracket must indicate Sir Nicholas’s Impression score.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There’s no way Luca's nationwide image would have a +2.0.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Considering that the new Impression category appeared only after I decided to actively utilize the “Blue-Eyed Hunter,” it’s a plausible theory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyway, the rate of increase will likely decrease as the score rises.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This isn’t like raising my negative Health score to zero; I need to raise an already positive score by three points.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘...No.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although the timeframe is tight, there’s still a chance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, Leo, who had warped to the meeting place, spotted me and approached.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why didn’t you attend class?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no meeting today.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We had already discussed the lawsuit yesterday, so there was no need for the other students to gather.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, Narce and Leo had agreed to meet here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I took my medicine.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Medicine? You mean...!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leo dropped his bag and sat down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Did you get called out because of that?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yeah. My brother sent the steward to make me take the medicine twice a week.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Twice? Can you handle that?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’ve enhanced my core, so it’s not impossible.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a good thing I drastically increased my Health score—albeit forcibly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leo bit his lip in thought before speaking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let me know if you can’t handle it. I’ll use healing magic.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Thanks.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But... Your brother is really going all out now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He wants to kill me as soon as possible.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he isn’t ready to move directly yet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he were serious, he’d come for me himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leo looked shocked, his mouth slightly open, then sighed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Should I assign a bodyguard?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is there a need for that?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I shook my head with a smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leo let out a weak chuckle and replied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yeah, considering your skills, physical protection isn’t an issue.... So, how are you feeling now?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m okay. Narce helped me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Did he notice right away? He really has a great ability.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s a useful ability.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I ever get another trait selection, I’d like to have his power too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Can’t I have it somehow?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Everyone’s here~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Speak of the devil, Narce appeared with a smile and patted my back loudly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Feeling better?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From where he touched my back, a refreshing sensation spread to my extremities, completely eliminating any remaining traces of the poison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...What was that?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The magic I used at the charity event.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he purified me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Thanks.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No problem. Are we leaving right away?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yeah.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We’re heading to Bavaria now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There are five contaminated areas in Bavaria.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I plan to purify all of them with Divine Power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I also want to lay the groundwork for our next plan and achieve some personal gains.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…After all, I am also a mage belonging to that place.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if it was done without my knowledge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyway, since I now have the quest to raise Nicholas's Impression score, it’s good to show my face and achieve significant results.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m looking forward to it. It’s not a big deal, but it’s exciting after having to hold back since coming here!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Narce, who can also use Divine Power, is coming along.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Narce seemed quite disappointed about not being able to join us last time, so as soon as it became a weekday, he contacted the school and got permission.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it were any other day, it might have been difficult, but with the insect issue blowing up tomorrow, Leo’s reasoning that he needed Narce, a Divine Power user, to purify the restricted areas was convincing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leo looked puzzled at Narce’s comment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hold back? Were you hunting beasts in the Papal State?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I did similar things.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Really? That’s surprising.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Narce smiled at that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It won’t be surprising if you see it firsthand.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>*Boom—!*\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Narce pulled the staff from the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Divine Power made the evening sky as bright as daylight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t have time to admire it because I was busy blocking the roaring wind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No, I just lost my words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a single spell, he purified an area of nearly 10,000 square meters. It felt like he could even take on a professor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Ten thousand square meters of Divine Power? Exchange students are definitely something else.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leo muttered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not all exchange students would be like this, but he seemed to be in shock, spouting random words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well, Lucas could probably do it too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I haven’t learned such wide-area magic casting.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, it wasn’t about the power.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Narce replied nonchalantly, scanning the area for any remaining beasts to kill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He soon smirked and aimed his wand at a spot, flicking his wrist lightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bang—! Sizzle….\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The base of a giant tree root lit up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Contaminated rats, weakened by purification, were electrocuted and turned black.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Narce muttered with pleasure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I could do this alone.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You guys go ahead and check the other places. I’ll handle the purification here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, sure.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice was as kind as ever, but his expression wasn’t.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…Is he really from the seminary?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyway, it’s a good thing he’s on our side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And he knows there’s no other way but to exterminate the contaminated beasts for now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By dawn, we had purified all five restricted areas in Bavaria and returned to school.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Narce handled two areas, and Leo and I handled three.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leo couldn’t use Divine Power, so the purification was up to Narce and me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Narce looked at Leo’s account with amazement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, the Imperial Bank reward is 1.25 million pel.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s equivalent to 12.5 million won.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This made me realize how unusual the previous incident was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearing three low-level and two mid-level areas for a total of 12.5 million won, compared to the 12.5 million won earned from just one area last time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyway, we don’t plan to use this money ourselves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Narce handed the account book back to Leo and stood up, grabbing his black leather bag.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll head to the special class first. You guys come slowly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sure. Good job today.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No problem. This was the most fun thing I’ve done this semester.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I warped back to the dormitory, changed clothes, and came out casually.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I deliberately took a detour to the lecture hall and bought a newspaper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[‘Blue-Eyed Hunter’ Sir Nicholas’s Report… ‘Pleroma, Experimenting with Insects for Resurrection’]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[The cause of the unexplained skin disease in Mepen revealed… Pleroma’s doing]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Honorary Professor Joseph Friedrich of Imperial Academy No. 1: “Could Become an Unprecedented Biochemical Weapon”]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[2,000 Osnabrück citizens gather in the square within an hour of the report… ‘Demand for Swift Action’]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Pleroma Research Institute Director Clemens Graf: “In the worst case, it could escalate to a national disaster”]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[The Impact of Pleroma’s Insect Experiments on Local Communities]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Success.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike in the original story, we managed to get media coverage without resorting to extreme measures that would harm us.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, there was no mention of Elias sending the report to the Security Bureau and Parliament, only to be ignored.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Security Bureau to Use Level 1 Purification Magic to Exterminate Contaminated Insects in Mepfen]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now they bring it up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no mention of continued efforts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was just a one-time event, meaning Pleroma would lie low for a while and then resurface.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Parliament also remained silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Security Bureau provided a temporary solution, so Parliament didn’t feel the need to act.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That evening, Melvin carefully opened the door to the small room attached to our meeting place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lucas…! We just received a response from the Federal Council.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What did they say?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They said it’s impossible to process within a month. They claimed they can’t make laws that quickly….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite urging Parliament to take action again, the response was still a rejection.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They shifted the focus to legislation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, the government hasn’t requested additional funding, so there’s little they can do first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, they wouldn’t pass the budget according to our demands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What about the Security Bureau?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No reply to the telegraph we sent today.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Okay, thanks.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We confirmed through my brother’s insane actions that the information had reached the government.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So we sent the demands and data again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They sneakily accepted it and replied that they would announce measures through the official Security Bureau channel later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But their measures were just a one-time event.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We sent another telegraph urging proper action, but there was no response.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Melvin stood there for a while, frowning, then cautiously asked,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are we moving on to the next step?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. The Security Bureau doesn’t seem willing to resolve this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are you sure it’s okay? It’s still the government….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve already done it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I held up the evening newspaper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Elias Hohenzollern Files Administrative Lawsuit Against Imperial Security Bureau]\u003C\u002Fp>",2087,"2026-06-06T03:11:08.023Z",1,"novelbin.me","d458706d182e28705e20466f381ba320b5ba4e86f32b498bad6bc685f5d734a0","how-to-survive-as-the-second-son-of-a-mage-famil-chapter-37","how-to-survive-as-the-second-son-of-a-mage-famil-chapter-35",367,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fhow-to-survive-as-the-second-son-of-a-mage-famil-cover.jpg"]